2/2/2024-"Thrilled. Absolutely thrilled." Those were the words Marysville Drakes Manager Bill Rogan uttered when told the team would be back at Bryant Field for the 2024 Pecos League season.

Attendance for the first year team was less than hoped for in 2023 but Rogan is confident that will change for the upcoming season. "Last year hardly anybody knew we existed. The turning point, I believe, was the Peach Festival in downtown Marysville in mid-July. The team attended the event and so many people said they didn't know about the Drakes. After that great event, the last couple of weeks of the season attendance picked up dramatically."

Rogan pointed to the last game of the season as affirmation that the Drakes cemented their stature in Marysville. "We won our last six games of the season, in part to the amazing support we received. After the final game, the fans came down on the field and got autographs, took pictures with the players and expressed how sad they were that the season had ended. People were still in the park an hour after the game ended. They didn't want to leave. It was an exciting night. We missed the playoffs by one game and we need to change that this season."

Marysville City Officials and Pecos League Commissioner Andrew Dunn had a difficult offseason, hammering out an agreement for 2024 which led to speculation that the team would relocate. "I know for a fact that several cities were trying to get the Drakes to pull a Brooklyn Dodgers and move to their town," Rogan stated. "I kept telling the commissioner that I had no interest in managing elsewhere and that I know attendance will be better this season. Everything will be better across the board. The fans are going to have a great time at Bryant field this season and I'm glad the main thing was the officials of Marysville and Andrew Dunn had something very important in common. They want the Drakes in Marysville at beautiful Bryant Field." The Drakes begin spring training May 13th with the first game of the season at home versus the Vallejo Seaweed on Wednesday May 22nd. Tickets for that game and all Drakes home games can be found at www.marysvilledrakes.com. (Pictured: Vallejo Manager Christian "Mooch" Carmouche (left) and Drakes skipper Bill Rogan before a game last season at historic Bryant Field.)